Ancient Wonders of the Nile
A river voyage from Cairo to Aswan aboard the SS Misr
- 19 March 2019
- 20 October 2019
- 25 February 2020
- 22 March 2020
- 13 October 2020
- 8 November 2020
Discover the intriguing ancient history of Egypt during this cruise along the stretch of the Nile between Cairo and Aswan aboard the elegant SS Misr. Beginning in Cairo we will see the impressive pyramids and the Great Sphinx as well as some distinctive Egyptian art and treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Egyptian Museum. We then continue along the Nile visiting some of the less famous but historically important sites including Beni Hassan private tombs which, through superb wall paintings, provide a panorama of daily life in Egypt four thousand years ago from the leisure pursuits of the elite to workers in vineyards or children playing games. We also visit Abydos and Dendera temples and Tel El Amarna where you can survey the ruins of the temples and palaces of King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti.
Pharaohs and queens of Ancient Egypt sailed often on the River Nile in luxurious royal boats – by far the most rewarding way to see the landscape and monuments of their realm. Evoking this regal way of travel, we will travel at a gentle speed aboard the SS Misr which is essential to be able to drink in the rhythm of life and scenes which have changed little over hundreds of years on the banks of the Nile. Accompanying us will be excellent local guides and our expert Guest Speaker who will greatly enhance your enjoyment and knowledge of this ancient land.
Useful links & Travel Advice
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Misr
Originally constructed in Preston by the Royal Navy in 1918, the SS Misr was purchased and later converted into a luxury Nile steamer for King Farouk. Now fully restored to a five-star deluxe propeller steam vessel, she accommodates just 44 passengers in spacious, air-conditioned cabins and suites. Misr means ‘the Kingdom of Egypt’ and the décor throughout the vessel reflects the period.
Itinerary
Day 1 - London Heathrow to Cairo, Egypt.
Fly by scheduled flight to Cairo. Upon arrival transfer to the SS Misr and embark. Moor overnight this evening in Cairo.
Day 2 - Cairo.
Today is a full day tour dedicated to the capital city of Cairo. We visit the impressive Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the tombs of the great Pharaohs and their queens. After lunch we visit the Egyptian museum, situated at Tahrir square, with 107 halls that are separated into seven sections. The museum houses statues, jewels and treasures of Tutankhamun. We will visit the Amarna Room and see the Fayoum portraits and monuments from the later periods from the Greeks and the Romans. Join your fellow travellers this evening for a welcome cocktail party. Moor overnight in Cairo.
Day 3 - Cruising.
Enjoy a relaxing day on board as we cruise to Beni Suef where we will moor overnight.
Day 4 - Beni Suef & Minya.
This morning we visit the Maydom pyramid which is dedicated to the King Snefru of the 4th dynasty. We return to the ship for lunch and enjoy the afternoon sailing to Minya. Moor overnight in Minya.
Day 5 - Tuna El Gebel, Ashmunein & Beni Hassan.
Our touring today begins with a visit to Tuna El Gebel and Ashmunein, where the oldest monument is a boundary stela of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. The site is best known for its animal necropolis housing thousands of mummified baboons and Ibis sacred to Thoth. We continue to Ashmunein (Hermopolis Magna): known in ancient times as “Khemenu”, or the “City of the Ogdoad”, referring to the eight primeval gods who, according to ancient Egyptian Mythology, created the world. Today, the site houses the ruins of the Temple of Thoth, Temple of Amun, a small open air museum displaying two massive statues of “Thoth” as a baboon. There are also some remains of a Roman Christian Basilica, which was built over the site of an earlier Ptolemaic temple. The structure retains most of its granite columns and it is the only basilica to have survived to this degree of preservation anywhere in Egypt. After lunch on board, we continue our tour to the Middle Kingdom tombs at Beni Hassan, an ancient Egyptian cemetery site, located south of Minya. The necropolis of Beni Hassan reflects the political differences between the province's rulers and the Pharaoh kings. Due to the layout and more complex decorations the tombs mark a transition stage in the style of the tombs from the Old Kingdom to the New Kingdom. Moor overnight in Minya.
Day 6 - Tel El Amarna.
Today we start the day with a tour to Akhenaten’s royal city, tomb and palace at Amarna, it is here we visit the tombs of Ahmose, Pentu, Panehesy and the Royal tomb of Akhenaten. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon relaxing on board. Moor overnight in Tel El Amarna.
Days 7 & 8 - Cruising.
A relaxing interlude to our journey. Spend time on deck enjoying the passing scenery and attend a lecture or two by our Egyptologist.
Day 9 - Abydos Temple.
This morning we arrive in Balyana. After breakfast, we transfer to the temple that the Greeks called the Memnonium in Abydos, dedicated to Seti, Osiris, Isis, Ptah, Ptah- Sokar, Nefertem, Re-Horakhty, Amun and Horus. Its structure, built of white limestone is one of the most impressive religious structures in Egypt. Return to the ship this afternoon and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure on board.
Day 10 - Dendera Temple.
After breakfast, this morning is dedicated to the goddess Hathor as we visit the Dendera Temple, also known as the ‘castle of the Sistrum’. Hathor was the goddess of love, joy and beauty and the Dendera Temple was associated with healing. Spend a leisurely afternoon on board sailing to Luxor where we will moor overnight.
Day 11 - Luxor.
Today we visit the West Bank, one of the most famous and important archaeological sites in the world. See the Valley of the Kings, burial ground of the pharaohs for a period of 500 years. The tombs vividly depict the journey of the sun god and pharaoh through the dangers of the underworld. In the temple of Queen Hatshepsut you will discover scenes commemorating the reign of this exceptional monarch such as the ambitious voyage where she sent her ships on the Red Sea to the mysterious land of Punt. We stop at the Colossi of Memnon to witness the two imposing 18 metre high quartzite seated statues which marked the entrance to the now vanished memorial temple of the pharaoh Amenhotep III whose reign in the 14th century BC was one of the most opulent in Egyptian history.
Day 12 - Luxor.
This morning we visit the temples of Karnak, one of the most memorable and popular historical areas to visit in the world. Here you will witness the unbelievably vast array of monuments dedicated to Amun-Ra, king of the gods, his wife Mut and their son Khonsu. Just two of the highlights you will see are the great hypostyle hall with over 130 columns some 22 metres high and the obelisk of the powerful queen pharaoh Hatshepsut. To conclude our tour we will visit the illuminated Luxor temple, situated on the east bank of the river Nile. This evening enjoy a Galabya party on board as we sail to Edfu and moor overnight.
Day 13 - Edfu & Kom Ombo.
Today we visit the Edfu Temple, an ancient Egyptian temple that is set on the west bank of the Nile and is said to be one of the best preserved temples in Egypt. Dedicated to the Falcon god Horus and built in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 BC. Set sail this afternoon to Kom Ombo and after lunch we depart for a visit to the temple of Kom Ombo. It was mainly built during the Ptolemaic dynasty and completed under the Roman Emperors. The temple is unique because its ‘double’ design meant that there were courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms duplicated for the two gods worshipped here. The southern half of the temple was dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the northern part of the temple was dedicated to the falcon god Haroeris. Among the carved reliefs along the inside of the outer wall are images thought to be connected with Egyptian medicine, including displays of birthing chairs and surgical instruments.
Day 14 - Aswan.
This morning we will visit the high Dam at Aswan, considered an engineering miracle when it was built in the 1960s with a huge impact on the economy and culture in Egypt in the last century. Today it provides electricity and irrigation for the whole of Egypt. We continue to the temple island of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis, wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. The story of Osiris is represented on the walls of the temple, with two of its inner chambers which are rich in symbolic imagery. The temple was originally on Philae Island but because of high water levels was dismantled in 1977 and reconstructed on a nearby higher island called Algilkia. The main elements of the temple such as the two Pylons, hypostyle halls and sanctuaries were built by the Ptolemaic kings. Later the Roman rulers added the colonnades in front of the temple as well as the ceremonial entrance to the island known as Trajan’s Kiosk. After lunch we visit the Nubian Museum, due to the materials recovered from tombs, temples and settlements, UNESCO was encouraged in the 1980s to plan a Nubian museum, but it was not until 1997 that the museum opened its doors. The complex is 50,000 square metres and is enclosed by walls to evoke the traditional Nubian village architecture. This evening enjoy a Farewell Dinner on board.
Day 15 - Aswan to London Heathrow.
Disembark this morning and fly by indirect scheduled flight to London Heathrow.
Dates and Prices
19 March to 2 April 2019 • 20 October to 3 November 2019 | ||
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Category | Brochure Price | Special Offer Price |
4 Twin/Double cabin on Lower/Main deck | £5095 | £4895 |
3 Twin/Double cabin on Upper deck | £5395 | £5195 |
2 Suite on Main/Upper deck | £5595 | £5395 |
1 Panorama Suite on Main deck | £5795 | £5595 |
4 Twin/Double cabin on Lower/Main deck for Sole Use | £6095 | £5895 |
25 February to 10 March 2020 • 22 March to 5 April 2020 • 13 to 27 October 2020 • 8 to 22 November 2020 | ||
Category | Brochure Price | Special Offer Price |
4 Twin/Double cabin on Lower/Main deck | £5395 | £5195 |
3 Twin/Double cabin on Upper deck | £5695 | £5495 |
2 Suite on Main/Upper deck | £5895 | £5695 |
1 Panorama Suite on Main deck | £6095 | £5895 |
4 Twin/Double cabin on Lower/Main deck for Sole Use | £6395 | £6195 |
Tour Reference Code: RCMISRNILE
PRICE INCLUDES: Economy class scheduled air travel •14 nights aboard the SS Misr on full board basis • Wine or beer & unlimited soft drinks with lunch & dinner • Shore excursions with local English speaking guides • Tour Manager • Guest Speaker • Gratuities • Transfers • Airport taxes.
Not Included: Travel insurance, visa.
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All Decks
Misr
Originally constructed in Preston by the Royal Navy in 1918, the SS Misr was purchased and later converted into a luxury Nile steamer for King Farouk. Now fully restored to a five-star deluxe propeller steam vessel, she accommodates just 44 passengers in spacious, air-conditioned cabins and suites. Misr means ‘the Kingdom of Egypt’ and the décor throughout the vessel reflects the period.
Travelling with You
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George Hart
After graduating with degrees in Classics and in Egyptian Art and Archaeology from University College London, George Hart joined the staff of the British Museum. His career involved lecturing on Ancient Egypt, the Levant and the Bronze-age and Classical civilisations of the Mediterranean world. His interests include the spread of Phoenician and Greek colonies, especially in Sicily and the Western Mediterranean. He has accompanied tours to many archaeological sites around the Mediterranean and North Africa. He is also an accredited lecturer for The Arts Society. He took early retirement from the British Museum to devote more time to writing and travelling.
George Hart will be on the following tour dates: 19 March 2019 to 2 April 2019 • 20 October 2019 to 3 November 2019 • 25 February 2020 to 10 March 2020 • 22 March 2020 to 5 April 2020 • 13 to 27 October 2020
Book with Confidence
Speak to one of our advisors on 020 7752 0000